Seal-lock.



2 k E r u. WW 0 9 IND-881,034. PATENTED MAR. 3, 1908. U. S. SMITH.

. SEAL LOCK.

APPLIOATION .FILBD AUG.15, 190s.

lwv E NTO R+ CHARLES .8. SMITH.

. v\ r 2 V CHARLES S. SMITH, OF EAST ST. LOUIS, ILLINOIS.

SEAL-LOCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3, 1908.

Application filed October 15, 1906. Serial N0. 339,114.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of East St. Louis, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seal- Locks, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to a seal lock, of the type wherein a frangible member is employed to lock the two parts of the device together, which frangible member is broken in order to release the lock.

My invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved seal lock in position for use; Fig. 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a cross section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2 Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the frangible member; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the end of the locking bolt or member.

Referring by numerals to the accompanya car, and 2 a portion of the door.

Rigidly fixed in any suitable manner to the post 1 is a plate 3, and integral with the front side thereof, adjacent one end, is a housing 4, the front of which is open, and extending vertically through said housing is a rectangular opening 5, and there being grooves 6 formed in said housing at the top and bottom of the opening 5. Formed in the front portion of this housing 4 is a wide rectangular opening 7, which communicates with the opening 5 and with the opening in the front of said housing. Formed integral with the front side of the plate 3 above the housing 4 is a forwardly projecting staple or keeper 8.

9 designates the locking member or bolt of my improved device, which is provided with a ring 10 at one end, and being connected to the post by means of a chain 11, or in any suitable manner. The lower end of this member or bolt is rectangular in cross section, and of such a size as that it will snugly fit within the opening 5 in the housing 4 3 and formed integral with the side faces of this end of the bolt are the ribs 12, which engage in the grooves 6 when the bolt is positioned in the housing.

13 designates a leaf spring, the lower end of which is rigidly fixed in any suitable manner to the front face of the lower end of the lock ing bolt 9, and the body of said spring curves gradually outward away from the front face of the locking bolt.

14 designates the frangible member I make use of, which is formed of glass, porcelain, or analogous material, and of such a size as that it will snugly fit within the opening 7. Formed on the inner face of the frangible member 14 is a recess 15, and terminating at the upper end vwith an abrupt shoulder 16, against which the free end of the spring 13 engages when the frangible member is inserted in the housing to lock the parts of the device to one another. The lower end of this frangible member is provided with an integral rear Wardly projecting lip 14 which, when said frangible member is arranged Within the housing 4, engages in a notch 9 formed in the lower end of the bolt 9, which arrangement tends to rigidly unite the parts 9 and 14 and do away with any vertical movement of said parts relative one another.

17 designates a hasp which is carried by v the door 2, and which is adapted to engage over the staple 8. When my improved lock is in use, the hasp is engaged on the staple S, and the bolt or member 9 is inserted through said staple 8, with its lower end positioned in the housing 4 and the ribs 12 occupying the grooves 6. One of the frangible members 14 is now inserted in the housing 4 from the lower end thereof through the opening 7 and moved upwardly to its limit of movement, and in so doing the shoulder 16 is moved beyond the end of the spring 13, and, as this action takes place, said. spring will, by reason of its resiliency, spring outwardly and occupy the recess 15. Thus the parts are very effectively locked together, and it is impossible to unlock or detach said parts without breaking the member 14. These members may be impressed or marked with numbers or symbols at the time they are manufactured so as to identify the stations or points where they have been placed in the lock, and thus a record can be very easily kept as to the seal ing of the car, and the inspectors can readily ascertain at all times whether or not the car is properly sealed.

My improved seal lock is simple in construction and operation, comprises a minimum number of parts, is easily and quickly locked, and cannot be unlocked or detached without breaking the frangible member.

I claim In a device of the class described, the combination with a plate 3, of a staple 8 integral with the upper portion of the front face of said plate; a housing 4 integral with the lower end of the'plate, the front and'bottom of said housing being open and there being an opening through the top of said housing, and there being an opening 5 provided with grooves 6 formed vertically through the housing, a locking bolt 9 having its lower end constructed to pass through the opening in the top" of the housing and fit in the opening Within said housing, ribs 12 integral with the sides of the lower end of the bolt and adapted to occupy the grooves in the housing, a leaf spring 13 detachably fixed at its lower end to the front face of the lower end of the locking bolt, there being a notch formed in the lower end of said bolt; a frangible member 14: positioned in the housing in front of the lower portion of the locking bolt, the rear face of which frangible member is provided with a recess 15 to accommodate the leaf spring, and there being an inclined shoulder 16 formed at the upper end of the recess, against which shoulder the free upper end of the spring engages when the lower end of the bolt and frangible member occupy the housing, and a lip integral with the bottom of the frangible member for engaging in the notch in the lower end of the bolt.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES S. SMITH Witnesses:

M. P. SMITH, E. L. WALLACE. 

